I’ve got a lovely fall themed wedding here for you today (kinda out of season, I know!) But I think you will like it nonetheless. Renee did some really adorable DIY projects that you are sure to enjoy. I particularly love the jars of candy they made as escort cards/favors! Double duty= budget savvy! The custom labels on the hot sauce is an especially cute touch as well. Hope you enjoy this edition of the BSWOW! Renee & Ron

October 9, 2010
Glen Burnie, Maryland

 

What was your budget? If you are able, give us a rough breakdown of how you spent your budget.

Our Budget was $15,000 we spent around $14,000.  Without the help from my mother, father, and Ronnie’s parents we would not have been able to have our amazing wedding.

[ Photgrapher = $1,395] What’s great about the Pro’s is that you receive all the digital images of your photographs and your rights to reprint. My photographer, Tali Mindek, was so amazing I couldn’t believe how lucky I got.

[DJ = $450 ] The DJ was the owner of Big Hit Productions, Greg Brunner.  He has a packet that you fill out so your music selection is exactly what you want to hear.
[Florist = $483 ] My Florist is a local Pasadena woman named Connie Clark.  She is a florist out of her home.  She has amazing prices since she works outside of her home.  Her flowers where one of my favorite parts of my wedding.
[Reception & Alcohol $8,500 ] Overhills Mansion is in a residential area so we saved a bunch of money because we had to buy our liquor directly from the wholesaler. We ended up having a full bar for 130 guest for only $600!

[Photo Booth Rental = $1,585 ] We got the photobooth for 4 hours, plus they created onsite a guestbook with the second set of pictures. They also had a box filled with props for the guest to put on.

The rest of our budget was spent on dress, church, invitations, and the cake.

How many guests did you have?

130

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

I took on many projects for my wedding, to many if you ask my husband. I wanted to add autumn details and my creativity to as many things in my wedding as possible.  My save the dates where magnets that looked like a photobooth strip. I loved the autumn theme and colors so I incorporated it in many apects of my wedding.  My centerpieces where tall and meant to be an abstract view of a tree and the ground below it.  My favors where mason jars filled with candy corn and autumn themed paper with the guests name on it.  I bought a plain white candle and decorated it for our Unity Candle. I bought an invitation kit from Micheals and embelished it with rhinestones and flowers.  I bought cheap monogram cake toppers and added brown and orange rhinestones.  My cake decorations where bought at the dollar store and Micheals. My programs where designed by me and Ronnie put them together.  My veil was made from my mother’s old gown. My husband loves hot sauce so I bought hot sauces and made 4 different unique labels for “Smith’s Hot Sauce”.  The guest where fighting over them by the end of the night. All together my projects for the wedding where: Save the date, centerpieces, hot sauces, favors, vases, veil, programs, invitations, cake, cake topper, and unity candle.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

My wedding veil was made by my Aunt Hannah and myself out of my mother’s old wedding gown.  All of the veils at the bridal stores ranged from $200-$400.  So I saved over $200 by only having to buy a $1 comb and a .25 cent flower for the top of the comb.  I also did not spend any money on wedding jewelery which normally is a high expense.  I wore my grandmothers triple pearl strand, my sister’s bracelets, and my diamond earrings my husband gave me for Christmas.  My wedding make-up as well as my sister’s was done by myself.  I also saved money from doing many diy projects.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Make sure when you take on a diy project that you have enough time to finish it.  Be aware of finding time between your work and life schedule to get the projects done.  Two days before my wedding my sister and I sat up putting together the favors/place cards and hot sauce bottles. The day before my wedding my fiance was up late at night finishing up our homeade programs.

What was your biggest splurge?

The photobooth was the biggest expense. We had every guest take a picture in the photo booth.  The photo booth staff put together an album and had the guests write a message next to their photo.  So after our wedding we where able to look at pictures of our guests. Everyone was talking about how fun the photo booth was for weeks.  The photobooth was a great ice breaker for the guests at the wedding. We had guest that never met until our wedding day taking silly photos together in the booth.  The guests had a blast with it and so did we.

What was your favorite detail?

I had so many details of my wedding that I can’t decide a favorite.  Both my mother and father walking me down the aisle and each of them reading a scripture during the wedding.  My charm I had on my bouquet of my beloved grandmother that passed 5 months before my wedding.  When we got announced as Mr & Mrs. Smith at the reception and we came out busting a move to “Teenage Dream”  by Katy Perry suprising all the guests, especially my husbands family that never sees him dance.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Ever since not crying at my sisters wedding, Ronnie joked that I wouldn’t cry at our wedding.  I’m the type of person who cries at lifetime movies, and the home-makeover show, but when it comes to serious things I don’t seem to shed a tear.  So as I am waiting in the back room to walk down the aisle to become Mrs. Smith the water works turned on.  I do not know what turned them on but I could not stop. Even coaxing and jokes from my mother and father did not work.  So when I got to the end of the aisle I was even more emotional from seeing all the people staring at me in the church.  When I got the the front of the church I finally stopped tearing and smiled at Ronnie, and said “And you thought I wasn’t gonna cry”.

Please also include a list of all your vendors including any website links.
DJ -  Big Hit Productions- Greg Brunner
Cake -  Angel’s Bakery- Tamara Minarik (Pastry Chef)
Flowers – Connie Clark – Violets Florist
Photo Booth – Arcade Games Delivered
Venue – Overhills Mansion
Bridesmaid Dresses – Alfred Angelo
Photography – The Pro’s Entertainment